I am not Greek/Russian (or any other ethnicity that has traditionally used a resin incense), I am American Indian.

My husband and I are awful at lighting incense using the charcoal and incense granules. I suspect the cursing involved in us getting a good smoke counteracts the prayerful mindset that we are meant to have lighting incense.

My FAVORITE is sweet grass though. We have cedar trees all around our house and can harvest cedar whenever we like. We can pick up sage or sweet grass at a pow-wow whenever we like. We have also found that the more natural incense we use effects our son's RAD less.

Desert Fathers - Axum (I burn this to remind me of where I came from, my journey to orthodoxy).

My absolute prized and favorite is simply in honor of St. Herman, called Spruce Island but I'm not sure which monastery makes it. Maybe someone else here knows.

I have used pine resin as well and enjoy it.

From what my friend tells me that owns Desert Fathers Incense, frankenscense is controlled in majority by corrupt black marketers and hard to come by, very expensive and usually in short supply. Seeing as how I live in the USA, I would be proned to switch to indigenous ingredients if I could learn to prepare a sufficiently burning fragrance.

My mother is very prone to catching migraines and incense is a trigger, so I'm not allowed to burn incense at my home. That being said though, I still use scented candles--my favorite being from the Yankee collection. I like the "Midsummer Night" and "Moonlight" scents.

My absolute prized and favorite is simply in honor of St. Herman, called Spruce Island but I'm not sure which monastery makes it. Maybe someone else here knows.

Spruce Island is made by Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline, Massachusetts. You can buy it here.

I usually use incense from the Hermitage of the Holy Cross in Wayne, West Virginia. Though, Holy Transfiguration's formula, I think, is better (for burning on a charcoal), I generally like Holy Cross's fragrances better Though, I'm a sucker for Holy Transfiguration's "Gethsemane", which I use during Lent! I actually need to order more, as all I've got is my left over from last year!

« Last Edit: March 13, 2013, 10:47:06 PM by Benjamin the Red »

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"Hades is not a place, no, but a state of the soul. It begins here on earth. Just so, paradise begins in the soul of a man here in the earthly life. Here we already have contact with the divine..." -St. John, Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco, Homily On the Sunday of Orthodoxy

Before the opening of the market the most common thing put in censers I think, was just fir-tree or douglas or pine tree resin. I sill have a clump an old man gave to me back in the early nineties, as he was selling it in the market. Some reddish resin. It smells good although I thing the smoke is thicker.

Before the opening of the market the most common thing put in censers I think, was just fir-tree or douglas or pine tree resin. I sill have a clump an old man gave to me back in the early nineties, as he was selling it in the market. Some reddish resin. It smells good although I thing the smoke is thicker.

Sounds interesting. The floral scent I referred to is resinous and covered in some kind of white powder. Smells really good. BTW, I have friend traveling to Romania in a few weeks. What are some good incense I can ask him to purchase for me?

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"The Scots-Irish; Brewed in Scotland, bottled in Ireland, uncorked in America." ~Scots-Irish saying

Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.—St. Isaac of Syria

Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.—St. Isaac of Syria

Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.—St. Isaac of Syria

Does pure tobacco smell anyhow different from pipe tobacco/cigarrettes/cigars? I've smoked additive free cigarrettes but I doubt that it is actually additive free and therefore doesn't smell the same as just plain tobacco.

Does pure tobacco smell anyhow different from pipe tobacco/cigarrettes/cigars? I've smoked additive free cigarrettes but I doubt that it is actually additive free and therefore doesn't smell the same as just plain tobacco.

It depends on the type of leaf and how much moisture is left in it after drying.

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Happy shall he be, that shall take and dash thy little ones against the rock. Alleluia.

I'd be remiss if I didn't put in a plug for Gloria Incense, made by the Seminary of Christ the Savior of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese in Johnstown, PA USA for many years. Each year one of the students is made responsible for blending the mix and filling orders and it supports the Seminary. Here's the link for oils, resin incense and charcoal. http://www.orthodoxgoods.com/gloriaincense.html